[StarVegabond]

@Backseatdriver
We used three cameras during this trip. Nikon D90, Sony P&S, Cannon P&S. Pictures could be from any of these three.

I drove on..

425 View of the forests


426 Jellimala view point ..now closed


427 Waterfall but looks like a river (or is it vice versa ?)


428 Waterfall down stream..close up


429 Waterfall Upstream..close up


430 Then we reached famous Thoovanam waterfall


431 My attempt at capturing the Thoovanam falls


432 Map of Chinnar WLS


433 We find one more water fall.. can some one tell us the name of the place ?


435 A close up


435 Marayur Sandlewood forest


436 Sandlewood forest on either side of the road


437 Then we take one more break due to the view around


438 Beautiful Tea Gardens around (Lalu Is this the one you were mentioning?)


439 and one more water fall .. Name ?


440 More tea gradens and farm houses ?


We moved on..

441 One more waterfall amid the fog.. Name ?


442 Tree with red flowers mentioned by Lalu


443 Further we stopped again


444 For this View .. WoW


445 One more waterfall, it appears tea gardens and waterfalls are interleaved


446 More Tea Gardens


447 Truck carrying Tea leaves


448 Tea Gardens Everywhere


449 Then comes the fog


450 Visibility becomes poor


We saw the huge crowd near the entrance to Eravikulam Santury. As it was already 5:45 PM, we decided to skip visiting the santury.

451 Then the night falls and the road hoggers take to the streets


We reached Munnar by 6:30 PM. Our beloved Travel Agent from Pallakad had given one telephone number to call once we reached Munnar. So we called.

The guy on the phone told that his place is some 25 KMs from Munnar. Name of his place is Chinnakanal. and his hotel is near Club Mahindra. We asked him whether we should have our dinner in munnar itself or not. He categorically told that Buffet Dinner would be there in the resturant.

So we again asked couple of people the route for Chinnakanal. We also re-fueled at Munnar as fuel was low. After some enquiries we again started climbing what appeared to be a very narrow ghat. On route it was very thick fog, we drove very slowly. Soon there was what appeared to be a traffic queue. After some 20+ minutes we could cross a very narrow stretch of road between rock boulders (next day we learnt that that place is called Lock Heart GAP).

After few more enquiries we could take left turn to Club Mahindra. We called the guy again and with his help we could reach the Hotel by 8 PM.

What followed was another example of how if one individual would not have been there, then how a customer would have got a bad Experience.
Reception was not recognising the Travel agent initially, rooms were good(compared to the promise) nothing extra ordinary, buffet dinner was not there, resturant was closed, secure parking was already full etc etc resulting in a huge dis-appointment.

Soon the "Extra Ordinary Guy" appeared on the scene. He quickly organized everything for us, Parking area for the car, Special Hot Tea, Hot meal, Extra Beds/Pillows, Soups for the kids. Special Room Service for the dinner and a X-mas cake.

We settled into the rooms, took hot water shower which was very refreshing in the cold weather, followed by special (very good and tasty north indian. chinese combo food) dinner on the terrace.

By the time dinner was over, energy was back, hope was back, feel good factor was getting built up.

Soon we hit the bed.

[laluks]

Star here are some pictures of Thoovanam Falls. Hope you dont mind

The Trek is an enduring 2 hours down here. I will call it a moderate trek for adults, and a difficult one for the kids. My PPGs were real tired by the two hour trekk. But the result was amazing.

Thoovanam Falls


Wifey checking the waterfalls up close


PPGs enjoying the nature


This says it all

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

We find one more water fall.. can some one tell us the name of the place ?

That is Karimutty Falls

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

438 Beautiful Tea Gardens around (Lalu Is this the one you were mentioning?)

This one

Originally Posted by StarVegabond

442 Tree with red flowers mentioned by Lalu

Yes. Yes.



If I get some time, I shall update them in my Munnar log http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...ur-munnar.html

[StarVegabond]

452 Route map : Sethumadai to Chinnakanal


I just now saw that this thread has been rated by 4 people, averaging 4.25 (Ratings of 5, 5, 4, 3).

I would like to thank the 4 kind hearted people who have not just read this thread, but also took special efforts to rate the same.

@Laluks
Thanks Lalu for those wonderful water fall pictures. May be next time when we go to munnar, we would do this Thoovanam Falls trek. This time most of the occupants (especially kids) of the car were sleeping on route.

The Tea Gardens and the RED flowered Tree picture posted by you looks beautiful. Probably the post rain period and Lalu photography effect. It shows I have a long long way to go.

[ampere]

Star even I had the same issue of driving from Munnar to Chinnakanal, where my hotel was. Late night, zero visibility and traffic queue and super-heavy fog!

[MohsinRoadster]

Thoovanam Falls and the tea gardens are jus beautiful...

[KRRaj]

Wow, Beautiful Fog. Love driving in those conditions. We had the same issue when we drove to Top Slip. We didnt even realise that we had reached Top Slip and would have passed through If I had not been there earlier

@Star, Great Pictures mate. Have to do Munnar trip sometime soon, lots of places pending.. hehe

[jaguar.runs]

Calls for 5-Star rating!

We had done the Munnar-Alwaye trip via Chinnar-Udumelpet-Palakkad-Thrissur in an open MM540 during our college days. The long way around by some crack-heads!

It was fun all the way, for us that was the primary motive.

[advaitlele]

@star - beutiful log. could not rate anywhere below 5. Captions and narrations make me feel I was with you as well. Thanks for taking me there.

@lalu - what photos you've got. Simply mind boggling. I could not read your log earlier but now you are forcing me to read it.

[laluks]

Originally Posted by advaitlele

@lalu - what photos you've got. Simply mind boggling. I could not read your log earlier but now you are forcing me to read it.

Thanks advaitlele
I have not yet written about the Nov 2010 Munnar trip. Hence thinking of updating the old log with the photos alone. But I have not yet done that too.


But the best part is elusive Starvegabond is now famous

[mjothi]

Originally Posted by laluks

Thanks advaitlele
I have not yet written about the Nov 2010 Munnar trip. Hence thinking of updating the old log with the photos alone. But I have not yet done that too.


But the best part is elusive Starvegabond is now famous

Thats what happens if you take up a trip before finishing the Tlog of the previous

Now, Get some vacations. Reason - Writing and completing the TL

@Star, For sure you are Mega Star. Nice captures.

[laluks]

Originally Posted by mjothi

Now, Get some vacations. Reason - Writing and completing the TL

@Star, For sure you are Mega Star. Nice captures.

I will join your Rajasthan trip, and while you drive I'll update the logs

Rev. Fr. Kanth reminds me of Sherlock Homes in his most exclusive appearance on TBHP

[pjbiju]

This travelogue and Lalu's travelogue have got me thinking. I need around 10 days of vacation. Lalu and Star, what is the best season to visit these places?

Star, you have a great way of taking people through the places you have been to. And earning stars that way

[laluks]

Originally Posted by pjbiju

Lalu and Star, what is the best season to visit these places?

I had travelled on Onam Holidays in Kerala. Though most places had the crowd, they never intruded our privacy nor slowed us down on the roads. Also I felt most tourists kept away from Kerala and it was mostly home coming crowd.

I feel the same about Christmas season too. May be some tourists, let us hear from Star.

The best time as I feel is just after the rains in Kerala. You can either go in August or after the rains in October.

As regards to Parambikulam, if you are in search of wild life sighting then Summer (near water holes) and December (mating season) are the bestas told to me by the guides. But in Summer they might close down to prevent forest fire, and also Kerala will not be so great weather wise.

My suggestion is August to December avoiding the rainy stretch. But Kerala in the rains is another beauty as I have discovered last time

[addyhemmige]

Oof!!! this is quite an exhausting travelogue you have compiled Star. I really appreciate the effort you have put in for this. You pictures made me remember my trip to Parambikulam. Looks like you guys had a great time. Enjoy!!!

[StarVegabond]

So many responses, so many ratings.
Thanks guys,

as a number man, i was tempted to do some analysis of the ratings
i could gather following conclusion

Rating of yesterday 4 votes Avg 4.25 total score 17 Individaul ratings are 5, 5, 4, 3

Ratings of today 13 votes, Avg 4.46 total score 58 Individual ratings are 5, 5, 4, 3, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 5, 1

This analysis tells me that some one is really unhappy with this travelogue. Again all this is trivia.

The whole purpose of this writing is for rememering some good moments. The target audience for this writing is only those 3 kids who integral part of our journey (called life) who might read this few years from now and we can all have some good laugh about it, hopefully. I just realized that they could still read my story off the forum as well.

Thanks everyone who were part of this so-called Good Times. Today is the last day of my writing season on this forum.

From tomorrow i hope to get busy for couple of months atleast. Who knows after that, Insha-allah.

God bless all of you.

Regards.